Aug/Sept 2008

Lantec, an IT solutions and logistics provider, is aiming to improve serve levels and enhance its business prospects by replacing the paper-based business systems it has been using to manage its mobile workforce with an automated system.

It is rolling out the integrated Optimatics solution from Aeromark, supported by its new Workflow DynMX solution (m.logistics, last issue), and has issued Opticon PDAs to its 175 engineers.

Workflow DynMX has enabled the company to set up PDA workflows without the need for bespoke software development. 'So we have been able to deploy our mobile PDA applications very quickly,' says IT director Tony Barr, who reports that this has meant significant cost reductions over competitive solutions.

Meanwhile Optimatics 'provides us with the next level of telematics technology, enabling us to monitor our service levels more effectively,' he adds.

 

Data is presented to administrators through a Smartdash application that give real-time access to information such as what time an engineer left home for his first job, what time he arrived, how long he stayed and what action he took.

'We wanted to improve the visibility of our mobile workforce, as we previously relied on mobile phone calls to communicate with our engineers,' he explains. There was also a requirement to improve our scheduling system and increase our stock accuracy with a scanning solution that provides near real-time updates to the central system.'